Loading video... VIDEO: Scientists at NTU Singapore have developed a layer-by-layer insulin nanoparticle that may one day form the basis for an oral medicine, and an alternative to insulin injections for diabetic patients... view more Credit: NTU Singapore Scientists at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) have developed insulin nanoparticles that may one day become the basis for an oral medicine, and an alternative to insulin injections for diabetic patients. In a pre-clinical study, the NTU Singapore team fed insulin-containing nanoparticles to rats and found that insulin increased in their blood minutes later. Insulin therapy is often an important part of treatment for diabetes, a metabolic disease that affects 422 million people globally . In Singapore, the number of diabetics is expected to grow to 1 million - almost a fifth of the population - in 2050 .